We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tracy Daves a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Tracy, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Great question! When I think about how my creativity stays alive and well, I know it is a gift from above. I often dig deep to my roots. My very first childhood memories were growing up in our family’s loving 1970’s split level home. My creativity was birthed from growing up in the love, laughter and craziness of my Puerto Rican household. I draw from that!
We had the quintessential shag carpet throughout the house in a vibrant blue on the main level and a flame-red colored shag in my room. Our kitchen featured swinging salon doors in a dark brown that matched our cabinetry. All of the kitchen appliances were in harvest gold. (Can’t you just see it?) The one full bath that the 5 of us shared had green avocado 4 x 4 tiles stacked on the grid. We were on trend!
As the 80’s came and went, my parents were ready to switch up the decor. And we were so excited to get the rage of the Miami Vice/Golden Girls themed colors of the moment. So the Midcentury Modern earth tones gave way to pastels. We incorporated mauve, minty green, and powder blue. When the 90s and my teenage years came on the scene, it was time for more changes. We had already upgraded to sculpted brown carpet and soon added pops of hunter green, gold and burgundy. We were in that house 20 years. These core memories and designs helped to shape the designer I am today.
I loved helping my parents select these finishes. I also adored helping style my mom as she was getting ready for work in the mornings. She would ask me which accessories went best with each outfit that I had helped curate from her closet. I felt so special helping her and being heard. She now tells my fashionista daughter these stories. It’s full circle as I ask my daughter advice these days on my own “fit.”
I keep up with the trends through social media and collaboration with other designers. After over 20 years in the business, I’m still learning. I subscribe to design newsletters, travel and speak with other designers on what is trending, follow rabbit trails down hashtags like #barbiecore and #coastalgrandma, for example. I’m passionate to dig into the latest trends in fashion and in home design. I usually first hear about these fringe trends that become mainstream from my 13 year old daughter. She and her peers have their hand on the pulse. That is so exciting that the next generation can teach me something! (I can just hear her now say “oh, mom”)
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
In school, I loved being in theater. So when it was time for me to decide what I wanted to do for a living, I took my love for the arts and my eye for style and landed on interior design. After my schooling, I applied my skills in the real world.
I cut my teeth in new home construction design. I was a deer in the headlights on those first few appointments. I asked questions and reached out to my reps to get all of the information I could on our product offerings. I attended the carpet universities from all of the major manufacturers. I went on plant tours to see how materials were made.
I went to every flooring training I could to become an expert from tile to carpet to hardwood. I asked questions, took notes and crafted my curiosity. Slowly but surely my confidence grew. I was becoming a flooring expert, and the puzzle pieces fell together.
Fast forward to today. I train other design professionals on how to be flooring experts everyday in every way. We, at Shaw Builder Multifamily, cover all categories including hardwood, carpet, tile, accessories and luxury vinyl. I coach new home construction designers across the east coast. We focus on trends, sustainability and story telling. I help to build their knowledge. It is so rewarding to give this segment of builder business a voice. We listen to designer feedback. We apply it to our products. We at Shaw Builder Multifamily are continually innovating and improving on our style, color and value. We have some amazing new products to share for 2024 so stay tuned!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Looking back I would say:
1. Always be willing to learn. I love to hear others present so I can pick up tidbits, icebreakers, and glean some of their wisdom. I’m used to public speaking yet after all of these years I still get butterflies in my tummy. (That means you still care!) So whether it’s a Sunday morning sermon, a zoom call or a podcast (shout out to The American Front Porch, NAHB Design Bites and The Building Blonde) I’m listening and constantly learning, taking it all in. There will be a time when you need to present your designs, your ideas or your concepts. My advice is to practice public speaking. Do it in the car with windshield time, in the morning as you are getting ready to start your day, or as you are running errands. The more you practice, the more at ease you are.
2. Stay curious. Ask questions and dig deeper. Google it. Ask why. Color outside the lines. Be creative. In a world full of artificial intelligence, be authentic. Be yourself. Be vulnerable and be real. And remember, this is all advice from a designer, mom and wife who wears her heart on her sleeve (if you couldn’t tell by now.) And find that right balance with being professional. Easy peasy, huh?
3. Be humble and lift others up. I so remember being the new girl. My charge is to help mentor other designers whether they are brand new to the business or a seasoned professional. When chatting or gathering don’t close your circle. Leave it open as a semi circle to invite others in, not leave them out. Again, this is a life lesson for our kiddos as well. Look for the outsiders and invite them in. Be a friend. Be a confidant. Be a mentor. Lift others up!
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking to collaborate at Shaw Builder Multifamily. We have a great design team that is lead nationally by Christine Slaughter. We have you covered in the west with Kristy Duvall, centrally with Leslie Guthrie and on the east coast with me.
We have a great growing social media presence on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook under Shaw Builder Multifamily where we would love to showcase you as a designer.
We also have a monthly design newsletter, called Inside Look, that features snackable content you can gobble up. If you have a creative design featuring any aspect of our products we would love to feature your work and your story. You can subscribe, follow, and interact below on any of these outlets.
Let’s connect!
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